DeMatha Football: Mid Conference Review

Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. [WCAC photo library] 2025, October, 18. wcacsports.com.

The DeMatha football team is 7-0 with a 2-0 record in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. In their most recent matchup, they beat Bishop McNamara, marking their 17th straight win dating back to last season. The Stags’ next contest is against St. John’s on Friday, October 24 at 7 p.m at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.

The Stags offense has been good, averaging over 31 points a game and outscoring opponents by a total of 222-51 this season. Most of those points came against non-conference opponents. Against Good Counsel, their first meeting since the 2024 WCAC championship, DeMatha was only able to muster seven points. It was much of the same story at McNamara on their Senior Day, where the Stags scored 12 points. Altogether, the Stags only put up 19 points in the first half of their conference schedule.

Against the Falcons, DeMatha had many three-and-outs and was not able to score in the red zone, suffering a turnover on downs in one trip. The Stags were 1-of-8 on third down conversions. Their one touchdown came with 5:58 to go in the 4th quarter when junior quarterback Tristan Sabb threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Lavar Keys.

The two other scoring opportunities for the Stags went awry. First, a 35-yard field goal attempt by senior kicker Robert Reeser was blocked by Good Counsel. Second, DeMatha had the ball in the red zone inside the 5-yard line but was unable to convert on fourth down. Also, Good Counsel was able to force a fumble, ultimately leading to a final tally of 7-0 with University of North Carolina Head Coach Bill Belichick in attendance.

Against the Mustangs a week later, they had many offensive struggles but were still able to score two touchdowns. All scores in the 12-7 contest came in the second quarter, including McNamara’s kickoff returned for a touchdown. With one minute left in the first half, Sabb handed the ball off to senior running back Elijah Lee for an 18-yard touchdown run. The final score of the game came with under 15 seconds left in the first half on a 6-yard touchdown pass by Sabb to Keys. One extra point attempt by Reeser was blocked, and the snap was fumbled on the other. 

Coach Luke Casey, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, acknowledged the offensive lulls. “We always have a goal of scoring points no matter what defense is in front of us so we will always believe there are things to improve on and address every week.”

While the offensive unit struggled, the run game toward the end of the McNamara game seemed to find success with Lee. “We are very balanced; however, the [offensive line] and run game was very strong in the second half,” Coach Casey said.

The Stags defense has been one of the top defenses in the country. They have not allowed a single point in the last two weeks, something the offense certainly appreciates. “[The] defense has been lights out. Coach Deno [Campbell, the defensive coordinator] is a legend, and he has the boys playing with their hair on fire defensively,” Coach Casey said.

Against Good Counsel, the Stags were able to force an interception thrown by Falcons junior quarterback Jackson Rice with under nine minutes left in the first quarter. They also recorded a strip sack fumble with just 48 seconds to go to seal the game. 

Junior defensive lineman Joshua Taylor says, “I think the defense has played with grit and relentlessness. We have been balling since summer. I think we are right where we want to be, and we’re just going to get better from where we are.”

On special teams, DeMatha has either allowed a block or fumbled the snap on three kick attempts in the past two games. “The kicks that were blocked were low. All three kicks have been addressed and worked on during this week of practice,” said special teams coordinator Marvin Brown.

DeMatha is ranked 15th in the nation, 2nd in Maryland, and continues to be the No. 1 team in the DMV according to The Washington Post. 

Looking ahead to their last two games of the season, St. John’s is 5-2 (1-1 in conference) and ranked 6th by The Post. Gonzaga is 4-3 (0-1 in the WCAC) entering their matchup this week against Good Counsel. Gonzaga is Washington Post’s No. 15 team.

“St. John’s is just a tough ball club that will play tough. They have a number of good athletes,” Coach Casey said.

After St. John’s, the Stags will end their WCAC schedule by facing Gonzaga at home, concluding the regular season on Halloween evening.

Coach Casey, addressing DeMatha’s student body, says, “Keep showing up. You guys have made a big difference at the home games and we want and need you guys in the stands supporting the boys.”